Theater review: KC Rep serves up a stupendous Sweeney Todd

Crazy gets fleshed-out, in a rather spectacular fashion, in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a provocative, absorbing, funny — dare I say delicious? — rendition of theatrical madness cooked up at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, through April 15.

Debuting on Broadway in 1979 — and winning the Tony Award for Best Musical (music and lyrics by Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler) — it tells a story that was familiar to the public more than 100 years before, that of the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, whose entrepreneurial success belies a lack of repeat business. Born of a “penny dreadful,” or cheap weekly fictional series, this character was devoured by the British masses. He was a popular meme.

This Sweeney Todd, based on a 1973 play by Christopher Bond that adds psychological depth to its characters, takes place in that 19th-century London, where Sweeney Todd sets up shop. The show even has the look of an 1800s production, with footlights, deep shadows, and a yellow glow (lighting design by Amanda Zieve), and period costumes (design by Linda Roethke).

Some have speculated that the title role is based on a real, rather than a fictional, person. But that’s more urban legend than “real news.” That people believe in this serial murderer’s storyline, though, may stem from intimate knowledge of our own species. We’re all too aware of our fellow humans’ darker instincts.

The story is reminiscent of Dexter, even if the protagonists are driven by different histories — and different needs. (In Sweeney Todd, it’s revenge.) Director Eric Rosen, who notes that “Sweeney Todd offers us a moral vision of the consequence of our own flaws,” has assembled a hugely talented (and also pretty large) cast of actor-singers and crew — a mix of local and out-of-town artists — and orchestrated a fine-tuned production that both engrosses and delights. The “musical thriller,” more modern opera than musical theater, is a yummy horror show — a tragedy, yes, but with oh-so-much comedy, too.

Sweeney Todd (an outstanding Tally Sessions) doesn’t act alone. His sidekick, a Cockney proprietess of a low-rate meat-pie shop, is the demented Mrs. Lovett (Ellen Harvey, excellent), whose devotion and attraction to Sweeney Todd help enable his crimes. Suddenly, too, her product isn’t so distasteful to her clueless clientele. (Who says we don’t need regulations?)

Sessions’ Sweeney Todd melds charm and menace, his deeply resonant voice and presence exuding sensuality. Harvey’s charisma and perfectly timed, humor-filled performance give her Mrs. Lovett a quirky air of insanity. Together, they are a dynamic, even sympathetic duo, their performances mesmerizing both individually and together. They, along with Sondheim’s clever, intelligent lyrics and rich score, drive this show.

Supporting cast members, too, contribute strong voices and powerful portrayals, and claim a significant share of audience engagement: Tim Scott, in Italian and Irish disguises, as the flamboyant, boisterous and hard-dealing barber and street huckster Adolfo Pirelli; Bradley J. Thomas, equal parts exuberant and corrupt as the Beadle; Emily Shackelford, a sweetly captivating teenage Johanna; Chris McCarrell as Anthony, a friend to Sweeney Todd and a lovestruck and devoted suitor of Johanna; Christian Whelan, wielding ruthless power as the towering, crooked Judge Turpin and Johanna’s foreboding, untrustworthy guardian; and Jordan Haas, Mrs. Lovett’s endearingly innocent and unwitting pie-shop assistant, Tobias.

Also very good in more brief appearances: Lauren Braton as the Beggar Woman and John-Michael Zuerlein as the owner of an insane asylum.

Sondheim’s score, composed to be played for nearly the entire runtime, is Sweeney Todd’s lifeblood, flowing through most scenes like an underlying theme. Music director Anthony T. Edwards conducts a stellar 10-piece orchestra that is sequestered in upstage rafters. (The only drawback: The music’s volume occasionally dominates dialogue and overtakes lyrics, though this was an issue primarily during parts of Act 1.) 

Gliding platforms (set design by Jack Magaw) allow for swift scene changes — from barbershop to pie shop to parlor to cellar to street scenes and other locales — and make efficient use of the stage’s real estate. (Only rarely did the action feel too set back and far removed.)

But these criticisms are mere footnotes to a near-perfect production. The show’s allure keeps its audience rapt despite a long first act (80-85 minutes). Even on a cold, snowy afternoon, a smaller crowd — an engaged, age-diverse group — could not be distracted by watches or lured away by unruly weather.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Through April 15 at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, 4949 Cherry, 816-235-2700, kcrep.org